Celebrating 100 Years of Warner Bros. with Merch and Experiences

When Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner officially founded Warner Bros. Studios, bubble gum hadn’t been invented yet, Polaroid photos wouldn’t exist for another 25 years, and it would be more than 80 years before Apple launched the first iPhone. In that year — 1923 — not a single American home had a television set.

In the 100 years since, thanks to Warner Bros.’ early adoption of sound in movies, what started as a tiny studio has expanded into one of the largest players in the global media landscape. Warner Bros. has launched and grown some of the most iconic movies, TV shows, and franchises of all time, ranging from classics like Singing in the Rain and Casablanca to pop-culture influencers like Friends and massive blockbusters including the Harry Potter film series and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Conversations surrounding the studio’s 100-year anniversary and how to commemorate it began about three years ago, as the company knew that a celebration of this length and size would take extensive planning. According to Robert Oberschelp, general manager of North America and senior vice president of global franchise management and brand product at Warner Bros. Discovery, the consumer products team had a few goals when designing and releasing merchandise for the occasion, including honoring the studio’s long and varied history, appealing to all Warner Bros. fans, and telling a cohesive story throughout the year.

Something that makes Warner Bros. stand out from other studios, Oberschelp says, is the wide variety of genres that its content encompasses — from intense horror films to family-friendly cartoons and everything in between — along with the sheer volume of content. In fact, when his team started researching for the anniversary, even Oberschelp was surprised by the extent of Warner Bros.’ catalog.

“It’s funny, when you start going through old rosters and old archives and then even just Googling,” he says. “Some of the titles I didn’t even know were our titles. But it’s 100 years — how do you manage 100 years? I would say it was a lot of research, a lot of deep diving.”

That research went beyond the archives and directly to the public, as the company hosted studies and surveys to find out what devoted Warner Bros. fans wanted to see for this anniversary celebration. Warner Bros. also honed in on the multigenerational appeal of the studio’s massive, diverse catalog — nearly everyone alive today grew up watching Warner Bros. content.

“It’s just a way for us to bring the generations together and close that gap between the great-great-grandchild and a great-great-grandmother or grandfather,” he says. “It’s being able to have those connection points and the ability for the older generation to introduce a younger generation and vice versa. … The child who’s reading Harry Potter and their parents look back and say, ‘Oh my god, I read that book. I saw that movie.’”

For these reasons, the consumer products team sought to re-imagine its many iconic brands and titles into cohesive product drops that fans of all ages (and income levels) could enjoy. 

One way to do this? Combine different intellectual properties (IP) into fun mashups. Throughout this year, a variety of products — including collectibles, apparel, home goods, and more — will feature classic Looney Tunes characters dressed up as characters from other Warner Bros. properties, from Scooby-Doo and The Wizard of Oz to Friends and DC Comics.

Oberschelp says that the Looney Tunes were the obvious choice to take on Warner Bros. cosplay, as the characters are synonymous with the studio. “They are a part of the pop-culture sensation. They really represent the Golden Era of animation and these characters, they’re beloved. … Our Looney Tunes are the ultimate fans for Warner Bros.”

While the company is creating and launching some of these products through its Warner Bros. Shop, which will host a variety of limited-edition anniversary merch throughout the year, the team also tapped some existing licensing partners, including Funko, McFarlane Toys, and RSVLTS for these crossover items.

RSVLTS, an apparel company known for its fandom-enhanced button-down shirts, was one of the first companies to launch a Looney Tunes mashup item with its WB100 “Looney Tunes Heroes” Kunuflex Short Sleeve Shirt. Its design features a collage of the Looney Tunes dressed as DC heroes with a commemorative WB100 tag inside. “Our ‘Heroes’ button-down both looks and feels very in line with RSVLTS’ other Warner Bros. collection offerings,” says Mike Shriner, director of communications and brand strategy at RSVLTS. “However, these items will forever be special due to the centennial occasion.”

Outside of the mashup series, Warner Bros. Consumer Products will release items that highlight the evolution of its shield-shaped logo over the years, as well as a new art series from the in-house creative team that depicts key logos and elements from popular Warner Bros. franchises in a cohesive, minimalist style.

This new art is available now on various posters and prints from Trends International. Each piece features the same color scheme, which, according to Trends International’s Director of Communications Pam Fettig, makes all of these anniversary posters pair well together. “For me, it’s difficult to choose between Gremlins and Goonies, so why not have both in a similar style to decorate my wall? I think that’s what makes this 100th series special,” she says.

The desire to bring fan-favorite franchises together also carried into the licensed, location-based experiences from Warner Bros.’ Global Themed Entertainment Group, according to Peter van Roden, senior vice president of global themed entertainment at Warner Bros. Discovery. “We didn’t want to just focus on one IP, but rather find ways for fans to re-live all their favorite stories and characters and help bring generations together,” he says. “We pay close attention to what fans are interested in and make sure we have something for everyone.”

Some of the themed experiences that fans can expect for the anniversary celebration include a special centennial exhibit at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, which is opening this spring and highlights many of the studio’s most notable productions. There will also be activations at Warner Bros. theme parks around the world, including live shows, character appearances, and anniversary merchandise. Fans can also look forward to worldwide pop-up events throughout the year, including interactive experiences and photo ops. 

One anniversary experience that van Roden is looking forward to is the Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros. concert series, in partnership with Fever. These shows will take place in more than 100 cities and will feature a string quartet playing music from the Warner Bros. library by the light of thousands of flickering candles. “The venues that are selected to host the concert series are breathtaking, creating a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience,” he says.

These experiences will continue throughout the calendar year, as will the new product reveals. Warner Bros. commissioned a diverse group of 10 artists to put their own spin on the Warner Bros. archive and create a collection of original artwork. The pieces will be available on a variety of projects and also play with IP crossover.  

Oberschelp is especially excited about this product release because it highlights the deeply personal connection that many of us have to Warner Bros. content. “Each one of [the artists] was inspired by something different and it goes back to their childhood memories,” he says. “The storytelling that we do, the entertainment that we put out, it sticks with somebody for a very, very long time and helps hold who they are. Whether it be empowerment, whether it be inclusiveness, whether it be an escape.”

For Oberschelp, that childhood tie is to the movie Singing in the Rain. He fondly recalls running up and down the curb holding his umbrella, harboring dreams of becoming a singer. While he never realized that specific dream, he recently couldn’t help but marvel at a new, crystal-clear, digitized clip of a movie that shaped his youth.

This passion and connectivity are, ultimately, what the Warner Bros. team hopes the consumer products for this anniversary can commemorate.“I think it’s the memory,” he says. “We all have memory boxes and consumer products is a place where you can buy, and you can keep, and it’s for you. Or you can get it and share that special moment. … We want to make sure we super-serve all of our fans. So we’re going to do everything from high-end runway to our mass and value. So [to our fans], shop everywhere. We want to make sure that everybody gets a piece of history and is able to celebrate with us.”

This article was originally published in Issue No. 16 of The Pop Insider. Click here to read the full issue!